clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Ranking the Roster 2018: Shabazz Muhammad Hits the Road

Last year’s diet version of Michael Beasley has exited stage-left.

By Mitchell Maurer
NBA: Playoffs-Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

After coming in second to the departed D.J. Wilson on Day One, Day Two of our annual Brew Hoop Roster Ranking exercise has claimed Shabazz Muhammad (with 23% of the vote) as the next exile for the Milwaukee Bucks. Matthew Dellavedova was a “surprising” second place with 20%, Tyler Zeller took third with 18%, and Christian Wood was right behind him at 17%.

The Bucks seem to value Shabazz about as much as our readers: after a brief stint with the team last year, Milwaukee did not offer him a guaranteed deal and have only invited him to training camp to compete for the 15th roster spot. If he somehow turns things around from his career averages (which are bad!) and gets closer to his per-36 averages over 11 games with the Bucks (which were good!), Muhammad could usurp Zeller’s place at the end of the bench.

My thoughts: the Bucks need wing depth, but they don’t need it badly enough for Shabazz to stick around. The NBA has evolved beyond what he offers, and there just isn’t room on the roster for a big guard who plays like a big man. Jettisoning Muhammad also provides zero benefit on the cap sheet, since he’s not on a regular season contract (yet, if at all), whereas Delly most definitely is. He really ought to have been shipped out in this exercise by now, but I guess you can’t put a price on grit!

That’s where we find ourselves on Day Three. Will Delly be the next Buck sent on his way, or will Tyler Zeller and Christian Wood find themselves locked in a dogfight for the right to be the Bucks’ fourth center? It’s September in the NBA, what could be more exciting?

Poll

The next least valuable Buck on the roster is...

This poll is closed

  • 2%
    Sterling Brown
    (9 votes)
  • 9%
    Pat Connaughton
    (36 votes)
  • 27%
    Matthew Dellavedova
    (102 votes)
  • 1%
    Donte DiVincenzo
    (7 votes)
  • 9%
    John Henson
    (36 votes)
  • 0%
    Ersan Ilyasova
    (1 vote)
  • 0%
    Brook Lopez
    (0 votes)
  • 1%
    Thon Maker
    (5 votes)
  • 1%
    Tony Snell
    (7 votes)
  • 17%
    Christian Wood
    (65 votes)
  • 27%
    Tyler Zeller
    (103 votes)
371 votes total Vote Now

More From Brew Hoop